In a communication network, a plurality of terminals is usually connected in a local environment to a central computing or management unit, usually called “server”. The communication network can substantially be supported by computer-based components, but in addition, other communication terminals, such as, for example, telephones or the like, can also be connected.
To manage message data for individual users in such a communication network, a so-called UMS system (“Unified Messaging Service”) can be installed. Such a UMS system offers a message management wherein messages (for example voice messages, e-mails, faxes, SMS, MMS, etc.) received or to be sent in any form are transformed into a uniform data format and saved centrally on the server. The user can then be granted access to the centrally saved messages through the most different terminals (so-called “access clients”), i.e. in particular through telephone terminals, mobile phones, e-mail clients, or the like.
In such a UMS system, incoming messages are in a first step digitized, as far as necessary. For example, a text recognition device can be used for printed information, whereas incoming fax messages can also be directly received by a fax server and filed in digital form. Voice messages, for example from an answering machine, on the other hand, will be transformed into sound files and text files and saved. The message data edited in this way are then transmitted to the corresponding user in a unified form, the so-called unified messaging. To grant the user access to the message data, the server unit of the communication network usually includes a data storage area for saving the message data, to which the respective user can access in a suitable form through the respective terminals, possibly after authorization recognition and release.
Communication networks of this type, i.e. UMS systems, are usually designed for organizational units, such as, for example, companies or enterprises, especially also in view of the local environment. In this case, it is of particular advantage within such organizational units that the user can access the message data saved for him with a uniform appearance and, therefore, in a particularly easy and uncomplicated manner, from different terminals, as a rule even from all terminals, within the communication network, so that the user has access to saved messages without requiring further measures, independently of an individual terminal, in a particularly flexible way.
Depending on organizational changes or also technological requirements, it may, however, be necessary to subdivide a communication network, which is actually uniform from the organizational point of view, into a plurality of partial networks with individual local environments. This may be the case, for example, if larger organizational units, such as, for example, enterprises, are distributed over several locations which in part work independently of each other concerning message management. Alternatively, such a structure composed of several partial networks, can, for example, also be created if several existing local communication networks shall be combined in a unified system. This could be the case, for example, if a plurality of units, formerly operating independently of each other, shall be combined in a larger structure, as, for example, in the case of a reorganization in the field of public health, if several hospitals, formerly operating independently of each other, are combined from an organizational point of view. In such a case, i.e. when linking and combining several already existing partial networks, it is in particular possible that the crossover line and connection structures can be designed with a limited performance offer only, so that data quantities cannot be exchanged changed between the individual partial networks to any desired extent and at any desired speed.
Nevertheless, however, it can be desirable exactly in such situations to provide the functionality properly speaking of a UMS system, i.e. to make the saved message data available to a user from substantially each terminal of the overall network, i.e. in particular also in a cross-partial network manner. In this connection, it should also be considered that the individual work flows of data management on the individual partial networks should be synchronized with each other, but should influence each other as little as possible.